Linear / Audio Taper Pots

[eg]

What do you guys recommend for the volume and tone pot?

Based on the Ibanez RG schematics, they come with stock linear taper 500Kohm volume pots and audio/log taper 500Kohm tone pots.

Any difference using the audio taper pot for the volume control?

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by eg

What do you guys recommend for the volume and tone pot?

Based on the Ibanez RG schematics, they come with stock linear taper 500Kohm volume pots and audio/log taper 500Kohm tone pots.

Any difference using the audio taper pot for the volume control?

only in the response of the pot itself as you turn it from 0-10.

linear as the name suggests gives a smooth curve from 1-10

logarithmic gives a log slope like curve - example...
if you are playing on 5 with a log pot you may only be allowing (very rough guess) 25% of the signal through... whearas the liner pot would allow 50 %
by the time you reach 8 on a log pot you are nearer to 100% than 80 %

I cant explain in this post but just try googling a log response curve - a linear one is easier to imagine - pretty much a straight line..

[eg]

Thanks for the explanation.

[rgr]

But the log pots will sound more linear, that's basically why they are used for volume controls.

[Vim Fuego]

Originally Posted by rgr

But the log pots will sound more linear, that's basically why they are used for volume controls.

Right, the response of the ear is logarithmic so to make 5 "sound" half a loud as 10 you need a log pot. I think the Ibanez schematics show a log for volume and lin for tone (at least the Jem one does). It's safe to say that log for volume is always the best bet (unless you really want all the adjustment in the last bit of the pot turn). Where I've seen differences is in the tone pot some use log some like Ibanez use lin. It's less clear to me whether the ear response to changes in tone is linear or logarithmic! I'd use lin myself for no good reason!
BTW the perceived wisdom seem to be 500K ohm for humbuckers, 250k ohm for single coils and 25k ohm for active pickups. The jem uses 500k ohm as there are more humbuckers than single coils on the guitar, strats have 250k ohm pots.
Jim
'98 Jem7VWH
'91 Jem77BFP with GK-3
RG470FMR
Charvel EVH Art Series (red/white/black)
Burns Brian May
Epiphone G-1275 double neck
Epiphone Sheraton II

Laney VH100R
Boss GT-8
Roland GR-30
Roland VG-88
etc. etc....

[sleepyone]

Do I see any contradicctions here...? "If you are playing on 5 with a log pot you may only be allowing (very rough guess) 25% of the signal through... whearas the liner pot would allow 50 %" How can a log pot sound more "linear" than a linear pot then??? Please explain these, Im changing pots in my RG320 and this would be helpful, thanks

[Jaden]

you need to look up a log curve before you shoot down my explanation, do you even know what log is/means ? im speaking mathmatically only - VIM's explanation is better..

rulw of thumb I ues is - replace them like for like

BTW - thanks VIM for te better explanation !

Jaden.

[rgr]

Short answer, we don't hear linearly. For example, all other things being equal, a 100W amp is only 3db louder than a 50W amp. 3db is just on the edge of a perceptable difference. That's why I don't understand all these 150W amps, to me they are just way more expensive to retube.

Strangely enough, audio circuits act similarly, that's why your gain knob on your amp is a log pot, not a linear pot.

[eg]

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

Right, the response of the ear is logarithmic so to make 5 "sound" half a loud as 10 you need a log pot. I think the Ibanez schematics show a log for volume and lin for tone (at least the Jem one does). It's safe to say that log for volume is always the best bet (unless you really want all the adjustment in the last bit of the pot turn). Where I've seen differences is in the tone pot some use log some like Ibanez use lin. It's less clear to me whether the ear response to changes in tone is linear or logarithmic! I'd use lin myself for no good reason!
BTW the perceived wisdom seem to be 500K ohm for humbuckers, 250k ohm for single coils and 25k ohm for active pickups. The jem uses 500k ohm as there are more humbuckers than single coils on the guitar, strats have 250k ohm pots.
Jim
'98 Jem7VWH
'91 Jem77BFP with GK-3
RG470FMR
Charvel EVH Art Series (red/white/black)
Burns Brian May
Epiphone G-1275 double neck
Epiphone Sheraton II

Laney VH100R
Boss GT-8
Roland GR-30
Roland VG-88
etc. etc....

Was it linear for volume and log for tone? I'm sure I read it that way instead of linear for tone and log for volume.

But it should not be a problem having both as log pots also right?

[Vim Fuego]

Well, I'll be jiggered! From my previous post you can gues I thought I knew what I was on about (not to boast but I do have a degree in Theoretical Physics so I thought I understood this issue! Ha!) but I just read this on Guitarelectronics.com

"Most manufactures and builders either use Audio taper pots for volume and tone or linear for volume and audio for tone. However, if a problem of exists where a volume or tone pot has no effect on the sound, try a changing the taper."

The second option, lin for volume and log for tone, seems to be the one used by Ibanez on the Jem guitars not the other way round as I thought when I misread the circuit diagram!! You live and learn!! The point about the ear being logarythmic in response is still valid but of course I hadn't considered the fact that pickups and amps are also not perfectly linear. I guess a hi-fi will always use log volume controls but not so guitars! I guess it's the old case of try it and see.
For your rig and whether you have an clean sound or not you may find that linear volume pots work better or you may find log volumes work better.
Interesingly both the Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio sites specify the value of the controls on their circuit diagrams but not whether they are log or lin!!!
Ibanez don't help by labelling their pots with lettes like W D and G on some diagrams which I haven't been able to decode. Also the pot labelling scheme itself has changed over the years and it used to be A for lin, C for log. Now it's A for log (Audio), B for lin (I think!! (this is making my head hurt!)).
What I *know* is I like the way the pots work on my Jem so maybe next time I change strings I'll take a look and confirm whether the diagram is correct.
Jim
'98 Jem7VWH
'91 Jem77BFP with GK-3
RG470FMR
Charvel EVH Art Series (red/white/black)
Burns Brian May
Epiphone G-1275 double neck
Epiphone Sheraton II

Laney VH100R
Boss GT-8
Roland GR-30
Roland VG-88
etc. etc....

[sleepyone]

I didn't shoot down your explanation Jaden, just saw what seemed like a contradiction to me. "do you even know what log is/means ?" try and be more respectful, you don't know me at all to go judging or mocking me, I wasn't disrespectful at all.

To the rest of you jemsite people (hehe):
What would be better for volume swells and what for rolling down the volume and clearing a distorted sound?
What be the best for the tone pot?
THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!